Ceiling mounted lift

ABSTRACT

A ceiling mounted lift ( 200 ), of the type having a support frame ( 210 ) housing a drive mechanism ( 240 ) that operates to raise and lower a lifting platen ( 22 ) using a fabric drive roller ( 244 ), has a stabilizer ( 230 ), and is small enough to fit between standard ceiling joists. Preferred stabilizers have free movement in substantially only one plane and such arrangement is aided by the use of a bearing and hardened washers. Lifts according to the present invention can safely have a travel distance of up to 50 feet, and can manage payloads up to 1000 pounds.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is ceiling mounted lifts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A home theatre incorporates into a home components traditionally used ina theatre to enhance the experience of watching movies and other shows.While use of such components generally results in a larger viewing areaand better sound, the components are considered obtrusive in a housebecause of their size and appearance.

With regard to size, large projectors, speakers, and screens take upfloor and wall space. With regard to appearance, the components detractfrom the overall aesthetic appearance of the home. For example, a Sony®Cineza LCD front projector utilizes an LCD projector that is mounted ona stand in front of the viewing screen. The screen, the projector andstand all take up considerable floor space. In order to solve some ofthese problems, projectors and even speakers are sometimes raised aboveground level often by hanging them from a ceiling. While mounting to aceiling definitely releases floor space, the aesthetic impact issomewhat less helpful, because there is still a relatively large devicehanging from the ceiling.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,658 to Dittmer (September 1996) teaches a ceilingmounted projector lift system that moves a projector between a raisedoperating position and a lowered maintenance position. Dittmer describesuse of a motorized wench assembly and cables to raise and lower theprojector. While the '658 patent may have some advantages over otherlift systems, the lift remains substantially below the ceiling surfacein both the operational and non-operational positions, and therefore isstill aesthetically undesirable. U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,892 also to Dittmer(June 2000) addresses the non-operational footprint of a lift. Contraryto the '658 patent, the '892 patent teaches a lift in which the raisedposition is the non-operational position and the lowered position is theoperational position. Dittmer describes use of a slide bracket ortelescoping structure to move a projection device between thenon-operational position and the operational position. Dittner's devicemay have reduced the non-operational footprint of a lift, but problemsremain. One particular problem is the stability of telescoping arms bothduring raising and lowering of the component and also during operation.A persisting problem is the aesthetic appearance of the lift, which evenwhile in a non-operational position, remains below the ceiling surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,993 to Huffman (November 2002) addresses at leastsome of the problems related to aesthetic appearance while in thenon-operational position. Huffman teaches a lifting device mountedwithin a ceiling plenum. The non-operational position of the display issuch that the viewing surface is substantially parallel to the floor. Inpreparation for viewing, the device operates to swing the display down90 degrees or until the viewing surface is perpendicular to the floor.There are, however, problems with the design taught by Huffman, though.Huffman relies upon a sufficient plenum area above the ceiling surface.It appears that only a relatively flat display will fit in the plenum.Moreover, if the surface of the ceiling is joined directly to theceiling joists, there is insufficient area to conceal the device.

Thus, there remains a need for ceiling mounted lifts that are morestable and less obtrusive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive subject matter is a ceiling mounted lift which is sizedand dimensioned to stow substantially above a ceiling surface. In oneaspect, a stabilizer is coupled by a first arm to a support frame and bya second arm to a lifting platen that typically supports an electricalcomponent. In a further aspect, the stabilizer includes a bearing andhardened washers such that movement of the stabilizer is substantiallyplanar. Yet a further aspect includes a double fabric drive roller thatutilizes a tubular motor.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with theaccompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art lift.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a ceiling mounted lift.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a scissor stabilizer.

FIG. 3 a is a perspective view of a pin joint.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a home theatre system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1 a, a prior art lift 100 comprises a viewingdisplay 120 that generally is stored above a ceiling surface 110. Thedisplay 120 swings approximately 90° from a non-operational position inwhich the display is parallel to the ceiling surface to an operationalposition in which the viewing display 120 is perpendicular to theceiling surface. In order for the viewing display 120 to be stowed abovethe ceiling surface, there must be sufficient distance between thebottom of the ceiling joists (not shown) and the ceiling surface 110.Prior art lift 100 does not contain any stabilizer.

In FIG. 2, a ceiling mounted lift 200 according to the inventive subjectmatter generally comprises a support frame 210, a lifting platen 220, astabilizer 230, a drive mechanism 240, a component housing 250, and aceiling panel 260.

The support frame 210 is generally comprised of a light weight materialsuch as aluminum, but any appropriate material will suffice includingother metals, thermoplastics (e.g. polyethylene), woods, composites, andso forth. A frame, including a projector or other component mounteddirectly or indirectly to the frame, can be mounted to a plurality ofceiling joists by mounting brackets 212 and screws, bolts, or otherconnectors (not shown). The structure of a support frame, althoughdepicted as a combination of multiple pieces coupled together, can becomprised of a single piece, so long as the frame satisfies thefunctions described herein.

A preferred support frame has some means for attachment to a ceilingjoist, which thereby provides support for the drive mechanism 240, drivetube 242 and idler tubes 246 and 248. It is also advantageous that aframe be designed to fit within a typical ceiling structure, which inthe United States has joists that run 16 inches on center (i.e. about14.5 inches between them for standard 2×10s). In other countries thestandard joist spacing would be different from that in the U.S., howevera frame and all that is housed within the frame should be sized to fitwithin a space between joists (e.g. 14.5 inches). The frame 210 depictedin FIG. 2, is no more than 12.5 inches at its shorter side (assuming arectangular shaped frame) and therefore, it can easily fit within the14.5 inch spread between the ceiling joists. In embodiments in which thelift is less than 14.5 inches at its shorter side, some degree ofadjustment space will be achieved. The amount of adjustment space can becalculated as the difference between the space between joists and thelength of the shorter side of the frame. Using 14.5 as the distancebetween joists and 12.5 as the length of the shorter side of the fame, a2 inch wiggle room can be achieved. Of course, the longer side of theframe should be sufficiently short to enable mounting into a standardceiling without interfering with cross-sectional members. It iscontemplated that the entire lift including the support frame will be nolonger than 23.25 inches at its longest length, although reasonablevariants should apply with all numbers.

In a preferred class of embodiments, a double fabric drive assembly isutilized to raise and lower a portion of the lift. A double fabric driveassembly 244 generally consists of a drive tube 242, two idler tubes 248and 248, a first fabric panel 270, and a second fabric panel 275. FIG. 2depicts a double fabric drive assembly 244 wherein a tubular drivemechanism 240 is enclosed essentially within the drive tube 242 (i.e.the middle tube) and the drive mechanism 240 operates to raise and lowerthe lifting platen 220 using first fabric panel 270 and second fabricpanel 275. For the drive mechanism, a Somfy® Systems 40 series motor iscontemplated and for the fabric panels, vinyl impregnated woven nylonmesh is contemplated. It should be appreciated, however, that otherappropriately powered motors and fabric panel materials can be used.

Lifting platen 220 is preferably an aluminum plate attached to thecomponent housing 250 that will generally house a home theatre component(e.g. a projector, speaker(s)). In some aspects, a lifting platen 220forms a portion of the component housing, and in fact, the fabric panelscan be attached directly to the home theatre component in which case,the lifting platen is a surface of the finished good home theatrecomponent. In any case, a lifting platen should be capable of receivingan arm of the scissor stabilizer, and therefore the lifting platencontributes, at least in part, to stabilizing the lift.

With regard to the ceiling panel 260, it is contemplated that byattaching a ceiling panel to the component housing 250, the lift 200will be substantially concealed from view when it is in its raisednon-operational position. Thus, a ceiling can be comprised of dry wallor other material used for ceilings. A ceiling panel 260 can be held tothe lift 200 by one or more spring loaded bolts 265. While spring loadedbolts are not required, they are preferred in order to give the ceilinga substantially contiguous look when the lift is in a non-operationalposition. Because there is a degree of error in the lift, the springloaded bolts can be used to ensure that the ceiling panel 260 lookslevel with the surrounding ceiling.

The utility of a lift is not limited to home theatre, and in fact, alift can have application in offices, auditoriums, stadiums, airports,and other places where there is a need to raise and lower something.While a preferred lift typically moves only a few feet between itsraised position and its lowered position the subject matter should notbe restricted in this manner as lifts are modular and scalable.Preferred lift distances are at least 5 feet, at least 10 feet, at least25 feet, and at least 50 feet. Preferred maximum payloads are 25 pounds,50 pounds, 100 pounds, 250 pounds, 500 pounds, and 1000 lbs.

While a preferred lift supports an item that is non-operational in theraised position and operational in a lowered position, the opposite maybe true. An item can be operational in a raised position andnon-operational in a lowered position. Consider a lift that lowers anitem for maintenance (e.g. a message board, light fixture or object ofart). An expanded concept includes a lift that is used to lower a personto do maintenance as for example on a bridge, dam, or office building.Thus, it should be appreciated that there are varied uses of the liftsdescribed herein.

Focusing on FIG. 3, a stabilizing system 300 is generally comprised of astabilizer assembly 305 having a first arm 310 and a second arm 320. Thefirst arm 310 is coupled to frame 330 and to lifting platen 340.

Stabilizer assembly 305 is generally “V” shaped and its operationalmovement is similar to a scissor. The arms 310 and 320 of the stabilizerassembly 305 can be constructed out of any appropriate material orcombination of materials including metals (tube steel, aluminum) andthermoplastics. The arms of a preferred stabilizer have a dimension ofabout 3/16×1 inch while the length of the arms can vary based on thelength of the rise/drop of the lift.

In some aspects, especially where the length of the rise/drop is large(i.e. over 10 feet), a torsion bar spring 315 is used at the joint tobias the arms toward each other. The spring loaded joint helps tostabilize the lift, especially in the raised position. Many types ofsprings are appropriate including a torsion bar, coil spring, precisionspring, and so on. Additional and alternative aspects include use ofmultiple stabilizers, sometimes coupled to each other.

Each arm has a hole (bore) through it and the holes are used to couplethe arms together at a pivot 350. In preferred embodiments, the arms arecoupled together using a pinned joint 360 depicted by FIG. 3 a at thepivot 350. The pinned joint 360 is comprised of a bearing 365 (e.g.thrust bearing), two hardened washers 370 and 375 a pin 380 and a bolt385. The joint 360 permits substantially unrestricted planar movementabout the axis of the connection point. The use of hardened washers 370and 375 further restricts movement in any plane that is notsubstantially parallel to the plane of free movement. Stability of thedevice is therefore enhanced by restricting movement to a single plane.

Wires 347 carrying signals and power can run from the ceiling area to adevice being raised or lowered. Because these wires can be damagedduring movement of the stabilizer assembly 305, it can be advantageousto have holes 345 in the arms 310 and 320 of the stabilizer assembly 305secure the wires 347 from damage. Moreover, a service loop 348 can beused to further avoid damage at the pivot 350.

As the lifting platen is raised, the distance between the lifting platen340 and the frame 330 is reduced. Such movement causes the arms of thestabilizer to rotate about the pivot 350 and causes the pivot 350 totravel upwards along a curved path 355. The curved path of the pivot 350remains substantially planar as the pivot travels.

In FIG. 4, a home theatre system 400 includes a lift 410 supporting aprojector 420, speakers 430, and a display screen 440. The lift is incommunication with a drive controller 415 having a wireless transceiver417. The drive controller 415 can be used to control and/or providepower to the drive mechanism (not shown) of the lift 410. A preferreddrive controller has a wireless transceiver or receiver in order toreceive signals from a remote control device. It is further contemplatedthat a lift can be incorporated into a home appliance center and controlof the lift can therefore be accomplished using a computer or otherdevice programmed to control home appliances. Such control can also beaccomplished remotely from a distal location, if necessary. It may bedesirable for a parent to monitor a child's “T.V. time”, and as such,enhancements can be built into the controller that can prevent the liftand or the projector from operation without authority.

Methods of stabilizing a ceiling mounted lift include the step ofprohibiting movement in all but one plane. In some aspects prohibitingmovement further includes the step of coupling the arms of thestabilizer using hardened washer on opposing sides of a bearing. Othermethods include concealing a lift substantially above a ceiling surfaceby sizing the lift to fit within a standard ceiling joist configuration.Additional concealing steps can include coupling a ceiling panel to thelift using spring loaded bolts or other connectors.

Thus, specific embodiments and applications of a ceiling mounted lifthave been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled inthe art that many more modifications besides those already described arepossible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. Theinventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except inthe spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both thespecification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in thebroadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, theterms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring toelements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicatingthat the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, orutilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that arenot expressly referenced.

1. A ceiling mounted lift, comprising: a support frame housing a double fabric panel drive assembly with first and second panels disposed on separate rollers, the panels cooperating to raise and lower a lifting platen; wherein a flat surface of the first panel and a flat surface of the second panel each define substantially parallel planes that are not co-planar when the lifting platen is lowered; and a stabilizer having a first arm and a second arm, such stabilizer disposed between the support frame and the lifting platen, and disposed between the first and second panels such that operational motion of the stabilizer is in a plane that is substantially parallel to the planes defined by the flat surfaces of the first and second panels when the lifting platen is raised or lowered, to prohibit motion in all but one plane.
 2. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, wherein the stabilizer comprises a bearing at a pivot joining the first and second arms.
 3. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 2, further comprising a first hardened washer on a side of the bearing and a second hardened washer on an opposing side of the bearing.
 4. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 3, wherein all movement of the stabilizer is substantially planar.
 5. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, further comprising a hole in the stabilizer and a tie wrap.
 6. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a double fabric drive roller.
 7. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver that cooperates with a controller to operate the drive mechanism.
 8. A home appliance center including the lift of claim
 7. 9. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, further comprising a home theatre component.
 10. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 9, wherein the home theatre component is at least one of a projector and a plasma screen.
 11. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 1, further comprising a device lowered for maintenance.
 12. The ceiling mounted lift of claim 11, wherein the device lowered for maintenance is at least one of a light fixture and a message board.
 13. A home theatre system comprising the lift of claim
 1. 14. A ceiling mounted lift, comprising: a support frame having a length and a width; the frame housing a double fabric panel drive assembly with first and second panels each having first and second opposing faces oriented parallel to the length of the support frame, but disposed in different planes, the panels cooperating to raise and/or lower a lifting platen to prohibit motion in all but one plane; using a fabric drive roller; and the support frame housing sized and dimensioned to stow substantially above a ceiling surface.
 15. The ceiling mounted lift to claim 14 having a side by side dimension such that the lift can be mounted between ceiling joists spaced 16 inches on center.
 16. An installed ceiling mounted lift comprising the lift of claim 14 having a side by side dimension that is at least 2 inches less than a space between the ceiling joists.
 17. An installed ceiling mounted lift, comprising; a support frame housing a drive mechanism that operates to raise and lower a lifting platen using different first and second fabric rollers having first and second fabric panels, respectively, each of the panels having parallel but non-coplanar, flat surfaces sufficiently wide to prohibit motion in all but one plane; and a ceiling panel held to the lift by a spring loaded bolt.
 18. The lift of claim 17 having a lift distance of at least 50 feet.
 19. The lift of claim 17 having a maximum payloads of at least 250 pounds.
 20. An improved ceiling mounted lift having a horizontal cross-section having a length and a width, and a double fabric panel drive assembly that supports a lifting platen, wherein the improvement comprises; the lift is sized and dimensioned to stow substantially above a ceiling surface and between joists spaced 16 inches on center; and the panel drive assembly includes first and second panels with parallel but non-coplanar, flat surfaces to prohibit motion of the lifting platen in all but one plane.
 21. A ceiling mounted lift having; a double fabric panel drive assembly, with a first panel having a width that defines a first plane and a flat surface across its width, and a second panel having a width that defines a second plane and a flat surface across its width, the first and second planes being parallel but not co-planar; a stabilizer disposed in a third different plane; and the width of the panels and orientation of the planes sufficient to prevent motion in all but one plane.
 22. The lift of claim 21 wherein the first and second panels are coupled to a lifting platen, and are sufficiently wide to provide significant horizontal stabilization to the platen. 